This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Disclosure, visit this page.

Chase just announced a new 100,000 bonus on the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card. The IHG credit card comes with a bonus of 100,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, you will receive an additional 5,000 bonus points if you add your first authorized user and make a purchase in the same time period.

IHG credit card property in Bora Bora

The IHG Rewards Club Premier credit card is a hotel rewards card that comes with a few air travel benefits thrown into the mix. Yet it still has an annual fee of less than $100. Let’s take a look at what Chase and IHG have to offer.

Earn 10x Points on Every IHG Purchase

The 10x earning potential is a great opportunity, especially compared to the other IHG cards. Double the points can mean the double the fun and the other travel benefits will help make sure you can get those free nights sooner than ever.

One Free Annual Night Certificate

The much beloved IHG free annual certificate is one of the best hotel night certificate offers around. Unfortunately, the annual free night certificate is only good for hotels in category 1-7 or that cost 40,000 points a night. This is a downgrade from when you could redeem your free night for any IHG property on the old IHG Rewards Club Select credit card.

Since the annual fee is $89, one IHG night could still easily exceed the annual fee. You can book your free night at almost any IHG property with the exception of the Kimpton hotel brand. They are gradually integrating into the IHG rewards program.

There are no blackout dates when you can use your free night certificate either. However, each hotel only has so many spots so you will need to act quickly if you want to book it at a high-demand property or during peak travel season.

Get the 4th Night Free with the New IHG Credit Card

Another benefit is getting a free reward night when you book a multi-night stay with rewards points.

IHG is rolling out this benefit too. You get a free reward night when you book four or more nights with IHG points.

This benefit is unlimited as long as you have enough points to cover your multi-night stay.

Without the IHG credit card, you must stay 40 nights or earn 40,000 elite bonus points in a calendar year to earn Platinum Elite Status.

TSA Precheck or Global Entry Application Fee Reimbursement

This is a new perk that also virtually pays the annual fee in addition to the free anniversary night. It used to be that you could only get TSA Precheck and Global Entry access for free if you owned a premium travel credit card with an annual fee of $450 or higher.

In 2017, credit card companies started including this benefit for credit cards with an annual fee of $100 or less. Who would have thought a hotel rewards card would offer an air travel benefit?

TSA Precheck costs $85 every five years and lets you skip the long security lines for domestic flights. It’s the easier of the two security clearances to get as well. You don’t need a passport and there are more enrollment centers.

Global Entry costs $100 every five years and lets you enter the expedited security lanes to re-enter the United States when you travel abroad. You will also enjoy the benefits of TSA Precheck by skipping the regular TSA security line for when you depart from a domestic airport.

If you have a valid passport and can visit a Global Entry enrollment center, apply for Global Entry instead of TSA Precheck. The extra effort can be worth it if you travel outside the U.S. during the five-year enrollment period.

The Best Ways to Use Your IHG Points

You might decide to only keep the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card in your wallet for the free anniversary night and the TSA Precheck application fee reimbursement. But, when you have points to spend for a reward night, consider these options to maximize the value of your IHG points.

IHG PointBreaks

IHG rewards nights start at 5,000 points with the IHG PointBreaks program. They recently started offering higher category properties for 10,000 points and 15,000 points per night. Note that these usually require more points when they’re not included in the PointBreaks portfolio.

If you don’t find a discounted property, you can expect to spend between 15,000 and 20,000 points per night.

Stay at a Candlewood Suites

The IHG portfolio includes several brands including Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, and InterContinental. But, have you ever stayed at a Candlewood Suites?

Candlewood Suites is the business traveler-friendly extended stay brand. Some rooms come with a mini-kitchen. Amenities include a cooktop stove, fridge, and a few kitchen gadgets that let you cook a real meal inside your hotel room. These properties are sometimes cheaper than other IHG properties, even in the same town.

It’s not uncommon to find a Candlewood Suites for 10,000 points per night when a Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express might start at 15,000 points. Even if you only stay for one night, Candlewood Suites gladly welcome Platinum Elite members like yourself.

Book with Points and Cash

You also have the option use points and cash to book a rewards night, instead of burning through your entire points balance in one stay. This option is better if you only book one or two nights at a time.

Summary of the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

Not every hotel credit card is a good deal, but the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card pays for itself with the free anniversary night and TSA Precheck application fee waiver. The addition of the 4th free night is an added bonus.

The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Categories

ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE

Advertiser Disclosure: Most of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which JohnnyJet.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). JohnnyJet.com does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Our advertiser partners include Chase, American Express, Citibank, and Barclays.

Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.